Ismail Ould Badah named as new Prime Minister of Mauritania

Ismail Ould Badah Ould Cheikh Sidia has been named by the President Mohamed Ould el-Ghazouani as the new Prime Minister of Mauritania, according to media reports. Ould Cheikh Sidia, 58, replaces Ahmed Salim Ould Bashir who resigned on Saturday.

PM Sidia has reportedly said his first statement after the appointment that the President entrusted him with the formation of a government, taking into account the magnitude of challenges and noble objectives. Sidia was appointed Minister of Housing, Urbanization and Land Reclamation and Minister of Employment, Vocational Training, Information and Communication Technologies between 2009 and 2014. He also oversaw the launch of the free zone in Nouadhibou, the country's second-largest city, and its economic capital. He was also head of the region's regulatory authority and worked as an international expert in Paris after his sudden dismissal from office.

Mauritania's newly elected president, Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani, took over from former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who came to power in 2008 and spent two five-year terms. Former President Abdel Aziz left Mauritania on Friday after handing over power to his successor on Thursday during a peaceful and constitutional ceremony in a country known for coups.